This invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing an attachment feature on an injection molded component without requiring any additional injection mold tooling actions to further form the attachment feature.
Injection molded components are used in a variety of different applications in a vehicle. An example of one injection molded component is an air cleaner housing. In the past air cleaner housings have been installed into the vehicle by using separate push pin members and a grommet. The push pins are inserted into openings in a base portion of the air cleaner housing and are then pushed into a grommet that is mounted to a vehicle structure. This process is labor intensive and time consuming.
One proposed solution has been to incorporate the details of the push pin directly into the housing by molding pin attachment features into the base of the air cleaner housing. This current process requires extensive injection mold tool actions to form pin attachment features. These mold actions include slide actions and/or running the parting line around the particular feature to create an undercut that retains the grommet. Such additional tooling actions increase the overall cost of the component.
Thus, it is desirable to have an attachment feature that can easily be molded into an injection molded component without requiring extensive injection mold tooling actions, as well as overcoming the other above mentioned deficiencies with the prior art.
A retaining assembly is used to attach an injection molded component to a vehicle structure. The molded component includes a base portion defining a bottom surface having at least one attachment member for attachment to a vehicle structural component. The attachment member is integrally formed as one piece with the base portion such that there is a continuous unbroken surface extending between the base portion and attachment member. The attachment member is formed as a cylindrical body portion that extends to a distal end having a retention member that cooperates with the vehicle structure component to retain the molded component to the vehicle structure.
The retention member is formed with a plurality flanges spaced apart from one another and which extend out radially from the cylindrical body portion.
Preferably, the injection molded component is an air cleaner housing and the retention members are integrally formed push pins. The push pins are inserted through a grommet or other similar component to attach the housing to the appropriate vehicle structure.
In one disclosed embodiment, a pad is formed about at least a portion of the cylindrical body portion by a lower mold portion. The base portion of the component further defines a top surface that faces opposite from the bottom surface, and which includes at least one opening extending through the base portion from the top surface to the bottom surface adjacent the cylindrical body portion. The opening receives an upper mold portion, which is positioned at a predetermined distance apart from the lower mold portion. The flange is formed between the upper and lower mold portions.
The method of forming an air cleaner housing component includes the following steps. An upper mold defines a top surface of the air cleaner housing component and includes at least one transversely extending male member defining a portion of the attachment member. A lower mold defines a bottom surface of the air cleaner housing component and includes at least one female member defining a portion of the attachment member. The upper mold is positioned relative to the lower mold by inserting the male member into the female member. The upper mold and male member are held at a predetermined distance apart from the lower mold and female member to define a gap that defines the shape of the air cleaner housing component. Material is injected into the gap to integrally form the attachment member and air cleaner housing component as a single piece. Preferably, a plurality of flanges is formed at a distal end of the attachment members between the upper and lower molds.
The subject apparatus and method provide an attachment interface for an injection molded component that eliminates the need for additional injection mold tool actions, resulting in reduced costs and installation time. These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specifications and drawings, the following of which is a brief description.